Puyallup last month spent $1,700 to provide one-on-one training to Mayor Rick Hansen following an April complaint about “unwelcome contact” from a city employee.
City Manager Ralph Dannenberg declined today to describe the incident beyond saying it took place at City Hall. He cited advice from city attorneys in declining to detail the complaint against the mayor. Hansen said he did not know which employee made the complaint or exactly what behavior caused it. “Staff talked to me about stuff I need to pay attention to, and that was resolved some time ago,” he told The News Tribune. Dannenberg on May 16 wrote a memo to Hansen that said female city employees had raised concerns about “boundary issues” and an “alleged incident of unwelcome contact that was witnessed by third parties.” The memo, obtained by The News Tribune through a public records request, says the city has policies against harassment and discrimination in the workplace. “The city cannot tolerate conduct of this type,” it reads. In June, Hansen attended one-on-one personnel training with an outside contractor. “I’m certainly sorry if I did something that bothered someone like that. You just need to be careful,” Hansen said Friday.
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